Many
members of the ruling All Progressives Congress are complaining of being
neglected by President Muhammadu Buhari, a state governor has said, echoing
similar concerns raised by the president’s wife, Aisha, weekend.

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, speaking to State House correspondents
yesterday, also advised President Buhari not to ignore calls for cabinet
reshuffle, a sentiment also being conversed especially in the social media.

Okorocha is
the chairman of the forum of APC governors that also go by the name Progressives
Governors’ Forum.

Aisha Buhari, in a widely publicised interview with the Hausa Service of the
BBC, said APC members who worked for her husband’s election have been
neglected.

She had also said the president had been hijacked by a cabal that did not work
for his success.

Okorocha, while reacting yesterday to the calls by some people that Buhari
should re-jig his cabinet in view of his wife’s comment, said: “Quite frankly,
I’m a governor and I know where the shoe pinches more.

“...If there is a clarion call for Mr. President to take a look at his cabinet
and bring in more people, there is nothing wrong.

“...If everyone keeps saying the same thing, there may be sense in what they’re
saying.
“But that’s not really the situation that would create for a big hullabaloo.”

He added: “Most people of the party felt that they have not been carried along.
I know that many of them complain every day. They want board appointments
released so that there will be calm.

“The people from the southeast said they have not been appointed; the people
from the northeast and even from the northwest where Mr. President comes from
said that have not been appointed.
“Some local governments and villages are saying they have not been remembered.
So, at what point do we draw this line?

“But there is always room for amendment because there is no perfection.”

Asked to react to the comments by the president’s wife, Okorocha stressed that
Mrs Buhari did not intend to bring down her husband’s government.

“... I was there (in Germany) when Mr. President made the comment. I think both
the interview and the comment were taken out of context.

“I can understand why the international community speaks on this matter because
of human rights and all that’s going on around the whole world.

“I tend to believe that Nigerians should understand this matter, because I
don’t think those were the intentions as being described in social media and
those condemning the act. I can put it this way that it’s a joke taken too far
outside the shores of Nigeria.

“If you’ve been with the president and where he cracks jokes, you’d understand
that it could be his style of jokes because even when he was responding (to
Aisha’s interview), he was smiling.
“I don’t think the meaning given to it is what it is. If not, why would he have
his five daughters having masters and PhD and his wife educated and putting
women in key positions in the country?

“I don’t think it is. Aisha Buhari who granted the interview didn’t give that
interview to bring down her husband’s government. She was only trying to make
peace among perceived aggrieved members in the polity.

“I have situations where my wife joins commissioners and my workers to condemn
what I do.
“That does not mean she is fighting me, rather a bridge of peace between me and
them.”

He said further, “ I’d have loved to make further comments if I do not see
President Buhari and his wife having nice time ... but I’m sure that as we’re
hitting our heads with each other on what they’ve said, they’re there having
their nice time.”

He said Nigerians, irrespective of political party, religion or culture, must
come together to build Nigeria of their hope and aspiration.

“This is what we must emphasise at this time, and we don’t need any form of
distraction whatsoever.

“We should support President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve these three key
things--economy, security and power and fight against corruption so that we can
make headway. I think we’re beginning to see light at the dark end of the
tunnel.”

The governor also debunked the allegation by a Second Republic legislator,
Junaid Mohammed, that Buhari’s recent trip to Germany was for medical reasons.

Okorocha, who was among those that accompanied Buhari on his three-day visit to
Germany, stated: “At least, I was with him till 1.00 am after dinner before I
left him and he went to bed and I went to bed.

“The following day, I came to see him in the morning. The president didn’t go
for any medial trip at all. The hospital we went to was to see an army general
who had an accident. These are some of the things on which people make
uninformed comments, and I do not know why people in this part of our world are
always happy when somebody is going down.

“There’s need to change our attitude completely. If the issue was the one that
had to do with how to move Nigeria forward, nobody would make comments or talk
about it; but once it’s anything perceived to be in the negative, Nigerians are
awake.

We must
change our attitude and see how we can build this nation. If Nigeria is
succeeding, it’s not Buhari that’s succeeding, it’s Nigeria that’s succeeding.
If Nigeria fails, it’s not Buhari that has failed, it’s Nigeria that has
failed. So, we must support him to succeed so that all of us can succeed. I’m
not aware that President Buhari went for any medical visit.”